Gearing.



L. l. ALDRICH.

GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 1914.

Patented May 30, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

L. I. ALDRICH.

GEARING.

' APPLICATION FILEDOCT. 29. 1914.

Patented May 30, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Elllllll l lllligll "I I lllllll L. I5 ALDRICH.

GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 1914.

Patented May 30,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ma a- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. LOYD I. ALDRICH, 0F PONTIAC, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN ROCKE, OF' PONTIAC,

, ILLINOIS.

GEARING.

Application filed October 29, 1914. Serial No. 869,207.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I. Lorn I. ALDRICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pontiac, in the county of Livingston and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

hIy invention relates to gearing.

More particularly, my invention relates to gear connection for operating a wringer, or operating mechanism.

My invention consists in the provision of a connection from a power element to an operating mechanism, whereby the latter is normally inoperative, but may be caused to operate through the action of the operators manipulation of a foot pedal control, or a hand lever control. There is also included in my invention, in connection with the hand control for the operating mechanism, the capability of operating the same in reverse directions.

My invention consists in the provision of a constantly driven element and an element designed to be intermittently driven, clutch members for establishing drive connections between the constantly driven member .and the intermittently driven element, normally disengaged from said member and element, but operative by foot pedal control for establishing said driving connection; a wringer or operating mechanism adapted to be intermittently driven and reversely operated and gear connection between said intermittently driven element and said operating mechanism normally held to break the driving connection therebetween, but operable relatively to establish driving connection between said intermittently driven element and said wringer or operating mechanism to cause the latter to be driven and the movement of the wringer rolls of said operating mechanism reversed at the will of the operator. v I

My invention further consists in the provision of a detachable element'adapted forinsertion to connect normally disconnected parts to establish a driving connection between the same.

Referring to the drawings,Figure 1 is a top plan view of my machine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a detail view of wringer shift and release mechanism, the casing or housing for the parts Patented May 30, 1916.

thereof being shown in section; Fig. 4; is a detail view of the same operative parts disclosed in Fig. 3, but viewed from the position at right angles to that of Fig. 3, showing certain housing parts broken away, and the wringer shaft in section and with one of the driving gears removed; Fig. 5 is a detail view of a driving connection and clutch mechanism to be operated by an independent and detachable foot pedal; Fig. 6 is a plan view of, the operating mechanism of the device with the tub removed, except as to supporting parts for the latter; Fig. 7 isa detail view of clutch parts between the driving shaft and the washing machine operating mechanism; Fig. 8 is a sectional view through a portion of the lid of the washing machine and showing, particularly, the means of supporting the dolly shaft to permit vertical reciprocation; Fig. 9 is a detail face view of a clutch wheel; Fig. 10 is a detail plan view of a locking means in certain driving connections; Fig. 11 is a side view of the same; and Fig. 12 is a detail view of certain driving and interlocking connections with a portion broken away for convenience of illustration.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 2 is a tub of the common and well known type employed in washing machines; 3 are leg supports for the tub which together with connecting frame pieces and top, constitute the main support for the washing machine and other parts; 4 is a lid or cover hinged and lockable in the usual manner.

Referring to the wringer mechanism hereinafter referred toas operating mechanism and the driving connections therefor, the driving partscomprising the motor (not shown), the pulley wheel 9, shaft 10, bevel gears 13 .and 1t, and shaft 15, are common to both the washing machine and the wringer actuation. The wringer drive from shaft 15, which maybe called the drive shaft comprises the sprocket wheel 31 fixed upon shaft 15 and connected by sprocket chain 32 to sprocket wheel 32, normally loose on shaft 33, hereinafter referred to as intermediate shaft which latter is provided with a suitable bracket support at its lower portion, in connection with the tub, and supported at its upper end by suitable connectlons with bracket 34; the lug 35 forming part of the cast sprocket wheel 32 and its hub, and projecting laterally from said hub, there being a similar lug on the opposite side from the lug shown in Figs. 2 and 5; a sleeve 36 fixed upon shaft 33 by means of pin 37, which shaft extends downwardly to the lower end of said sleeve 36; a sleeve 38 embracing sleeve 36 and being slotted as at 39, and pin 37 extending through said slots serves to support the outer in connection with the inner sleeve-and to provide for vertical movement of the former; the clutch members 40 extending upwardly from the face of a flanged portion 41 of sleeve 38, a coil spring or resilient member 42 interposed between the lower end of sleeve 36 and'an offset in the lower portion of sleeve 38; a reach or extension 43 below sleeve 38 provided with ball 44 upon its lower'end; a foot pedal 45 provided with suitable fulcrum bearing for contact with the floor; a reach 46 extending therefrom provided with means to form a detachable connection with the downwardly extending portions 43 of sleeve 38 in such amanner that any movement of reach 46 will be transmitted to sleeve 38 through contact with the projection of the ball portion 44 of downwardly extending portion 43, comprising a pocket member 47, adapted to receive the ballportion of the downwardly extending portion 43 of sleeve 38. Applying pressure to the foot pedal serves to raise sleeve 38 into engagement with clutch members 35 on sprocket wheel 32, and through the turning movement of the latter, sleeve 38 will be turned, and with it, the inner sleeve 36 and intermediate shaft 33, to which said inner sleeve is fixed.

,The connection above described relates to an operation of the machine, wherein the detachable foot pedal is designed to be embers 40 on flange 41 will engage with clutch members 35' on sprocket wheel 32, thus serving to establish a nection.

Referring, now, to the reversing characteristics of the operating mechanism, I have provided bevel gear 48, fixed upon the up per end of intermediate shaft 33; the driven shaft 49, upon which one of the rubber permanent driving conwringer rolls of the operating mechanism is mounted, which drives by gears or frictional contact, its, companion; the bevel gears 50, 51, normally loose on driven shaft 49 and provided with clutch lugs a; a clutch member 52, provided with clutch lug seats I), splined upon the latter shaft and adapted to be thrown into engagement with either of said bevel gears 50 and 51 or into intermediate, or neutral position, in engagement with neither of said bevel gears; a lever 53, pivoted in connection with the gear and shaft housing 54 and engaging said clutch member 52 so that it may act under proper impulse to shift said clutch. A wringer or operating mechanism 55 is clamped to a frame piece 56, the latter being swingably connected with the gear and shaft housing 54, to furnish the operating mechanism a permanent support and to hold it in a ver tical position.

Referring now to the facility of adjustment or swinging of the operating mechanism, the means for carrying out that function of the device, comprises, of course,first, the capability of driven shaft 49 to be turned to different angular position. On account of the normally loose gears 50 and 51 working in connection with gear 48 on shaft 33,

we need only exercise manual force to effect the swinging movement, but for the purpose of fixing the operating mechanism in definite position, I provide a lock plate 57, which serves, normally, as a journal bearing for intermediate shaft 33, and is suitably fixed in connection with bracket 34, and is provided with a plurality of vertical perforations, as 58, shown in Fig. 4. The locking means comprises the lever 59, its forward portion turnablv and slidably supported in bracket 60, and its rear portion turnably, but non-slidably supported in the upper'end of lever 53, said rear portion being looped as at 61, and returned to piv otal and slidable connection. with an eye 62 in the upper end of locking-pin 63, the lower end of said locking pin being supported and housed in offset 64 of housing 54; a stop 65 being provided to limit downward movement of pin 63. i

66 is a coil spring about the lower end of the pin, and embraced between the upper wall of the housing and the stop ring 67,

fixed upon said pin 63, the spring serving,

under normal conditions, to hold the pin 63 in locked relation with plate 57.

By manipulation of the hand-hold 68, on the outer end of lever 59, I am able to raise pin 63 out of locked relation with plate 57, to permit the operating mechanism to be swung into another desired position, and when lever 59 is released, spring 66 will serve to seat the pin in looking relation with said plate 57. 4 I

It will be observed that the lever 59 serves the double purpose of shifter for clutch member 52, by its lengthwise movement, and that by a turning movement of the same, pin 63 may be released from its engagement with any of the perforations or seats 58.

I have shown herein my preferred form of embodiment of my machine; however, I do not desire to be confined to the particular disclosure as to form and detail combination disclosed, but desire to claim as my invention, all forms of embodiment and detail combinations that may be effected from the exercise of those skilled in the art, that may fall legitimately within the principle of the invention herein disclosed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a main support, a drive shaft therein, an operating mechanism, including a driven shaft member, a support for the operating mechanism, a shaft intervening between the drive shaft and the driven shaft, mechanism for driving the intermediate shaft from the drive shaft normally in disengagement but operable at the will of the operator to cause engagement therebetween, mechanism for driving the shaft of the operating means from the intermediate shaft, normally in disengagement but operableat the will of the operator to establish a driving connection therebetween, wherebyalternate engaging and disengaging connection between the drive shaft and the shaft of the operating mechanism may be effected at the will of the operator, or both connections may be effected simultaneously.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a main support, a drive shaft therein, an operating mechanism including a driven shaft member, a support for the operating mechanism, a shaft intervening between the drive shaft and the driven shaft, mechanism for driving the intermediate shaft from the drive shaft including a member driven from the drive shaft, a driven member normally loose upon the driven shaft provided with a clutch member, a sleeve provided with a clutch member upon the intermediate shaft rotatable therewith and shiftable lengthwise thereof, and a foot pedal associated with the shiftable sleeve member in a relation that under the pressure of the foot of the operator the clutch members respectively of the sleeve and the rotatable member on the intermediate shaft may be held in engagement to cause the intermediate shaft to be driven from the driven shaft, mechanism for driving the shaft of the operating means from the intermediate shaft normally in disengagement but operable at the will of the operator to establish a driving connection therebetween whereby by continued pressure of the foot upon the pedal member the intermediate shaft may be driven and by establishing engagement between the intermediate shaft and the shaft of the operating means the latter may be driven or bydisengaging may be at rest.

3. In a device of the class described, in

combination, a main support, a drive shaft shaft, a' driven member normally loose upon the driven shaft provided with a clutch member, a sleeve, upon the intermediate 30 shaft provided with a clutch member and rotatable with said shaft and shiftable lengthwise thereof, a resilient member arranged relative to the sleeve member and the intermediate shaft to normally maintain the clutch of the sleeve member in disengagement from the clutch portion of the rotatable member on the intermediate shaft, and

a foot pedal associated with the shiftable sleeve member in a relation that under the pressure of the foot of the operator the clutch members respectively of the sleeve and the rotatable member on the intermediate shaft may be held, under'the tension of the resilient member, in engagement to cause the intermediate shaft to be driven from the driven shaft, and when the pres- .sure of the foot is removed the resilient member will act to shift the sleeve to disengage the clutch members, mechanism for driving the shaft of the operating means from the intermediate shaft normally in disengagement but operable at thewill of the operator to establish adriving connection therebetween, whereby by "continued pressure of the foot upon the pedal member the intermediate shaft may be driven and by establishing engagement between the intermediate shaft and the shaft of the operating means the latter may be driven or by disengaging may be at rest. 4. In a device of the class described, in combination, a main support, a drive shaft therein, an operating mechanism including a driven shaft member, a support for the operating mechanism, a shaft intervening between the drive shaft and the driven shaft, mechanism for driving the intermediate shaft from the drive shaft including a member driven from the drive shaft, a driven member normally loose upon the driven shaft provided with a clutch member, a sleeve upon the intermediate shaft provided with a clutch member and rotatable with said shaft and shiftable lengthwise thereof, a resilient member arranged relative to the sleeve member and theintermediate shaft to normally maintain the clutch of the sleeve member in disengagement from the clutch portion of the rotatable member on the intermediate shaft, and a foot pedal associated with the shiftable sleeve member in a relation that under the pressure; of the foot of the operator the clutch members respectively of the sleeve and the rotatable member on the intermediate shaft'may be held, under the tension of the resilient member, in engagement to cause the intermediate shaft to be driven from the driven shaft, and when the pressure of the foot is removed the resilient member will act to shift the sleeve to disengage the clutch members, mechanism for driving the shaft of the operating means from the intermediate shaft normally in disengagement therefrom but operable at the will of the operator to establish a driving connection therewith.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination, a main support, a drive shaft therein, an operating mechanism including a driven shaft member, a support for the operating mechanism, a shaft intervening betweenthe drive shaft and the driven shaft, mechanism for driving the intermediate shaft from the drive shaft including a member driven from the drive shaft, a driven member normally loose upon the driven shaft provided with a clutch member, a sleeve upon the intermediate shaft provided with a clutch member and rotatable with said shaft and shiftable lengthwise thereof, a resilient member arranged relative to the sleeve member and the intermediate shaft to normally maintain the clutch of the sleeve member in disengagement from the clutch portion of the rotatable member on the intermediate shaft, and a foot pedal associated with the shiftable sleeve member in a relation that under the pressure of the foot of'the operator the clutch members respectively of the sleeve and the rotatable member on the intermediate-shaft may be held, under the tension of the resilient member, in engagement to cause the intermediate shaft to be driven from the driven shaft,

and when the pressure of the foot is removed I the resilient member Will act to shift the sleeve to disengage the clutch members,

- ing mechanism for driving the shaft of the operating means from the intermediate shaft in reverse directions, said means being normally in disengagement with said shafts, but operable at the will of the operator to establish such driving connection to operate said shaft of the operating means in one direction or the reverse direction, as desired.

6. In a device of the class described, in combination, a main support, a drive shaft therein, an operating mechanism including a driven shaft member, a support for the operating mechanism, a shaft intervening between the drive shaft and the driven shaft of the operating mechanism, mechanism for driving the intermediate shaft from the drive shaft, including a member on the intermediate shaft driven from the drive shaft, and normally loose on said intermediate shaft and provided with a clutch member, a sleeve upon the intermediate shaft provided with a clutch member and rotatable with said shaft and shiftable lengthwise thereof, resilient means associated with the sleeve member and the intermediate shaft in a relation to normally space the sleeve member and the rotatable member apart, a foot pedal associated with the shiftable sleeve member in a relation that under the pressure of the foot of the operator the clutch members respectively of the sleeve and rotable member may be held in engagement to cause the intermediate shaft to be driven from the drive shaft, a wedge member that may be applied at will to maintain the sleeve and rotatable members in permanent clutch relation, and mechanism for driving the shaft of the operating means from the intermediate shaft normally in disengagement from said shafts but operable to establish a drivconnection therebetween, including means for reversing the direction of rotation of the shaft of the operating mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses LOYD I. ALDRICH. Witnesses:

JOHN RooKE, C. E. MYERs. 

